With the second half of the 2026 MLB Draft League drawing to a close, the West Virginia Black Bears are fighting for a spot in the championship game on September 2. Read more: WV Black Bears still fighting down the stretch.
The second half of the season is set to conclude on September 1. The following day is where the first-place finisher of the first half takes on the first-place finisher of the second half for a single-game championship.
If the season ended today, that would mean the Williamsport Crosscutters, the first-half winners, would take on the State College Spikes. However, the Black Bears still have time to sneak into that conversation.
Where the Black Bears currently stand
As of August 6 at the time of publication, the Black Bears sit in fifth place in the second half standings. The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are the only team that trails the Black Bears.
Despite four teams in front of them, the Black Bears are not completely out of reach of securing first place in the latter half of the season. With a current record of 11-14, they are just 4.5 games back from the State College Spikes for first place.
However, the Spikes are extremely hot right now. They have managed to rattle off seven wins out of the last 10 games they have played. Compare that to the Black Bears’ five wins in that span, and it has allowed the Spikes to build a comfortable lead over them.
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In addition, the Black Bears are coming off a four-game stretch where they finished 2-2 to start August. As of Thursday morning, they are wrapping up their series against the Crosscutters, then going on the road against the Trenton Thunder.
Both of those teams are above them in the standings, so they are equally important for the Black Bears. However, the series after against the Spikes is crucial for the Black Bears’ potential journey to the championship.
In that three-game series starting on August 11, the Black Bears will play host to the Spikes in hopes of flipping their season around. Fans can enjoy “2sDay at the Park”, where you can get $12 tickets, $2 hot dogs and concession specials, plus $2 off select merchandise.
Current MLB Draft League standings
Here are the full MLB Draft League standings as of August 6.
- State College Spikes (14-8)
- Aberdeen IronBirds (13-10)
- Williamsport Crosscutters (12-11)
- Trenton Thunder (11-11)
- WV Black Bears (11-14)
- Mahoning Valley Scrappers (8-15)
It’s a tight race for the second-half winner, but the Black Bears will quickly see themselves far out of reach of it with a poor last month of the season.
One thing that could help is playing in front of their home fans. The Black Bears are currently 7-2 at home in the second half of the season, compared to 4-12 on the road.
After back-to-back road series against the Crosscutters and the Thunder, the Black Bears will get to return home to face the Spikes. They follow that with another home series against the IronBirds.
That six-game stretch will be crucial for the Black Bears’ hopes of defending their 2025 championship. If they manage to sneak away with at least four wins, it will put them in a great spot for the last three weeks of the season.
But if the Black Bears falter their opportunity to take down the top two teams, it will be very difficult to reach the top of the standings before the season ends.
Stay updated with the rest of the Black Bears’ season on the WV Sports Nation app.
